tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post2347966505330717843..comments2024-01-02T17:38:32.872+00:00Comments on Economics of Imperialism: How Much Do Santa's Helpers Get Paid?Tony Norfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03896437404164741498noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post-12605963494723454752015-04-24T01:40:25.048+01:002015-04-24T01:40:25.048+01:00I would imagine TN and KY having the lowest costs:...I would imagine TN and KY having the lowest costs: only FICA and unemployment tax there--no state income tax, no unions, no retirement, low cost of living (coke can 85 cents) and poverty wages... A union state in Ohio, pension, living wage, benefits, and a state income tax. Of course, Ohio is much wealthier and developed than KY or TN, neighboring states.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post-41359874129883783172015-02-17T17:41:01.426+00:002015-02-17T17:41:01.426+00:00Jim Dixon - I agree. This kind of thing is the mat...Jim Dixon - I agree. This kind of thing is the material basis for the pro-imperialist stance of the working class in the richer countries. In the same way, that is why there is no basis for a big anti-capitalist party in those countries. The most you get is a commitment to welfare payments in Europe on the part of all major parties, one that has been part of the longstanding political pact between the masses and the ruling class in many countries. The crisis is wrecking the economic foundations of this, but the result is usually a move to reactionary politics, not resistance to capitalism. In any case, it is not so much how many strikes, etc, there are, but what is the political outlook of the working class. It is a political allegiance to imperialism. Back in the 1960s and later, in the UK, unions were very strike prone, but also pro-capitalist in the sense of wanting to share in the benefits of the system.Tony Norfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03896437404164741498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post-41412090736282235642015-02-17T17:16:48.511+00:002015-02-17T17:16:48.511+00:00The crucial point is how statistics underpin the c...The crucial point is how statistics underpin the consciousness of for example a US worker who can when shopping swap 1 hour of his own labor for perhaps 3 hours of equally sophisticated Chinese labor, even after capitalist profit-taking. This is why the US worker votes always pro-capitalist, and why strikes have declined from 381 in 1970 to only 11 in 2010. Jim Dixonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post-2157346400173901152014-12-28T15:23:00.473+00:002014-12-28T15:23:00.473+00:00Hi Steve,
Although there are big regional wage di...Hi Steve,<br /><br />Although there are big regional wage differences in the US, it is still one country with one currency. That makes a European average represent less of a reality. There is little sense in putting together the wage of a Greek or Polish worker with that of a German worker to make a European average.<br /><br />The rate of profit question does not factor in directly here. One would have to consider productivity as much as the wage paid, and wages are not the only cost to allow for. However, as I have noted in other blog articles, there tends to be a correlation between lower wages and higher rates of profit, as least as measured on foreign direct investment (by the US or the UK) into the lower wage countries.Tony Norfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03896437404164741498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3591186784456519139.post-40065906998003398322014-12-21T16:00:34.092+00:002014-12-21T16:00:34.092+00:00Useful info thanks. Just a few questions:
The US ...Useful info thanks. Just a few questions:<br /><br />The US figures are for the whole of the US; couldn't you do a European average? Or is this inappropriate?<br /><br />Where does the rate of profit factor into any of this (a bit of a hot topic on the left at the moment)? If at all.<br />SteveHnoreply@blogger.com